Three more Bulldogs selected in NFL Draft’s final day

ATHENS, Ga. – Another trio of Georgia players were taken in the final four rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft in Chicago on Saturday afternoon.

Inside linebacker Ramik Wilson was taken with the 19th pick in the fourth round (118th pick overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs. The next round saw defensive back Damian Swann go as the 167th overall pick (31st in the fifth round) to the New Orleans Saints. In the sixth round, the Indianapolis Colts picked inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera with the 31st pick of the round (207th overall).

Seventy-nine Georgia players have been drafted to the NFL in the Mark Richt era and 309 Bulldogs have been taken all-time.

The Bulldogs had five players taken in this year’s draft. On Thursday, Todd Gurley became the first running back since 2012 to be taken in the NFL Draft’s first round after the St. Louis Rams took him with the 10th overall pick. Receiver Chris Conley was selected with the 76th overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round on Friday night.

Wilson marks the fifth Bulldog selected by the Chiefs, all since the 2011 draft. Following Justin Houston’s third round selection in 2011, Kansas City chose Sanders Commings in the fifth round in 2013, Aaron Murray in the fifth round in 2014 and Conley on Friday.

Wilson, a 6-2, 232-pound native of Tampa, Fla., competed in 44 games for the Bulldogs over four seasons, totaling 253 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and six sacks. He was named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award in 2014 after starting all 13 games, registering 110 total tackles, including a team-leading 56 solo tackles. Wilson was voted to the AP All-SEC Second Team in 2014 after making the First Team in 2013.

Swann is the fifth member of Georgia’s defensive backfield to be drafted over the last four years. He is the 10th Georgia player drafted by the Saints since they first took guard Royce Smith in 1972. Swann also marks the fifth Bulldog taken by New Orleans in the Mark Richt era since 2002.

Swann a 6-0, 189-pound native of Atlanta, made 40 starts in his Bulldog career. Swann had 180 tackles, eight interceptions, 21 pass break-ups, six forced fumbles and 10 tackles for loss during his four years in Athens. In 2014, he was voted to the AP All-SEC Second Team and was voted as one of the team’s permanent defensive captains. A career highlight came in his senior season when Swann recorded the longest fumble return in school history as he returned a ball 99 yards for a touchdown against Georgia Tech.

Herrera is the third Bulldog inside linebacker to be drafted in the last three years, including Wilson and Alec Ogletree (St. Louis Rams) in 2013. Herrera is the first Georgia player taken by the Colts since 2012 (offensive lineman Justin Anderson) and the 12th since the 1958 draft (center Dave Lloyd).

Herrera, a 6-2, 244-pound native of College Park, Ga., appeared in 54 games over four seasons for the Bulldogs, amassing 334 total tackles, including 21 for a loss. This past season, he was voted to the AP All-SEC First Team after making a team-leading 115 total tackles, including 10 for a loss. Herrera was also awarded the UGA Coaches’ Leadership Award and was voted one of the team’s permanent defensive captains in 2014.